Intra-abdominal use of the carbon dioxide laser for microsurgery

This report has described long-term follow-up of neosalpingostomy, tubal anastomosis, and fimbrioplasty or adhesiolysis performed at laparotomy using the CO2 laser. The pregnancy rates described for these reporductive pelvic surgical procedures are higher than those described are shorter follow-up periods, but they are consistent with previous reports describing similar procedures using nonlaser and laser techniques. The latter observation is consistent with the recent description of no difference in tissue damage or postoperative adhesion development in rabbits treated with equivalent power densities of the CO2 laser and microelectrocautery. We conclude that the CO2 laser is an appropriate instrument for use in reproductive pelvic surgery. Choice of laser or nonlaser modalities is a matter of personal preference.